Protests, prayers against attack on Muslims in Myanmar

Mumbai, Aug 3 (IANS) Thousands of Muslims took out a procession and offered special Friday prayers here to protest against alleged attacks on Muslims in Myanmar, an official said here.

They called upon the government to pressurise Myanmar authorities to stop atrocities on the Muslim minority and offered special prayers at Minara Masjid here.

Saeed Noori, chairman of the Raza Academy, under whose banner the procession was taken out, referred to a July 2012 report by Amnesty International which highlighted rights abuses, including physical abuse, rape, killings, destruction of properties, and arbitrary detention of Muslims in Myanmar’s western state, Rakhine, allegedly by the Buddhist majority.

Quoting the report, he said between 50,000 and 90,000 people are reported displaced, and the Muslims had been virtually rendered stateless with heavy restrictions on their freedom.

Noori said memorandums had been sent to political leaders and rights groups on the issue.

He said President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, leaders of all Muslim countries, the United Nations, International Human Rights Organisation and Organisation of Islamic Countries have been urged to intervene and end the atrocities in Myanmar.

“We demand that the Indian government put democratic pressure on Myanmar to act immediately and restore peace and harmony. We call upon the Muslim world to unite and build diplomatic pressure to stop the crimes,” Noori said.

Aamir Idrisi, president, Association of Muslim Professionals, said the community had been living in Myanmar for over 10 centuries.